Pressure compensated plug connector

Abstract

A pressure compensated plug connector is provided for making an electrical connection under water. The connector includes a plug part provided with contact pins, a socket part having a casing for receiving a plurality of female contacts. A front plate is also included in the connector having a number of openings which correspond to the number of female contacts employed therein. The casing has at least one pressure compensating bore for compensating pressure between an inner space of the casing and the surrounding environment. A membrane separates an outer space communicating with the pressure compensating bore from an inner space filled with a non-conductive fluid surrounding the female contacts. The female contacts include a sealing sleeve adjacent to the opening, a front contact support, a sliding piston, a spring for applying force to the sliding piston, an outlet valve located between the sealing sleeve and the front contact support which connects the space occupied by the sliding piston in the unplugged state and opens to the inner space when the contact pin is inserted into the female contact, and an inlet valve located in the rear of the female contact which allows for the flow of fluid into the female contact when the contact pin is pulled out.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector having a socket part for receiving at least one contact pin of a plug part, the socket part including a casing having at least one female contact and a front plate mounted to the casing, the front plate having at least one opening formed therein in axial alignment with the at least one female contact, a number of the at least one contact pin corresponding to a number of the at least one opening and the at least one female contact, each at least one contact pin inserting through each at least one opening in the front plate and into each at least one female contact, the casing having at least one pressure compensating bore for compensating a pressure between an inner space of the casing and an environment in which the plug connector is located, the casing further having a membrane separating the inner space from an outer space, the outer space communicating with the at least one pressure compensating bore, the inner space filled with a non-conducting fluid and surrounding the at least one female contact, the at least one female contact having a sealing sleeve and a front contact support, the at least one female contact enclosing a sliding piston displaceable within a space defined by the at least one female contact, a diameter of the at least one female contact corresponding to a diameter of the at least one contact pin, the improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector further having a spring mounted within the space defined by the at least one female contact for moving the sliding piston in a direction towards the at least one opening when the spring is in a non-compressed state, the improvement comprising: 
       a) an outlet valve positioned intermediate the sealing sleeve and the front contact support for closing off the space defined by the at least one female contact from the inner space filled with the non-conductive fluid when the improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector is in an unplugged state;  
       b) the outlet valve opening the space defined by the at least one female contact to the inner space filled with the non-conductive fluid when the improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector is receiving the at least one contact pin;  
       c) an inlet valve positioned in a distal area of the at least one female contact providing an opening to the inner space filled with the non-conductive fluid from the space defined by the at least one female contact when extracting the at least one contact pin from the at least one female contact thereby allowing an afterflow of fluid into the space defined by the at least one female contact; and  
       d) a separating system located intermediate the inner space of the casing and the inlet valve.  
     
     
       2. The improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one female contact is provided with an O-ring seal positioned between the outlet valve and the front plate. 
     
     
       3. The improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector of  claim 1 , wherein the separating system is a filter. 
     
     
       4. The improved pressure compensated electrical plug connector of  claim 1 , wherein a hydrophilic material is introduced into the inner space for purposes of holding back water as it is introduced into the inner space.